Washington was ranked first for the eighth year in a row, followed by Minnesota, Delaware, Massachusetts, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, California, Wisconsin and Maryland in the top 10.

“We are very proud of the high quality of life enjoyed by Utahns,” said Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert. “We have worked to support and provide world-class bicycling opportunities across our state, both for commuting to work and enjoying the natural beauty around us. As we meet the evolving demands of our state and plan for the future, amenities like this will help Utah continue to be one of the greatest places to live, work and play.”

Bikers ride along a trail in a past Road Respect tour.

At UDOT, Integrated Transportation is our top emphasis area. In all phases of a project, we consider the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians and other Active Transportation users.

St. George’s Bluff Street at Red Hills Parkway interchange: In an area that is historically significant for cycling events, recreational riding & training, and marathons is an intersection where a state highway through a natural preserve meets a city street. In this high-growth section of Utah’s Dixie, the city and state met together with the Southern Utah Bike Alliance to make center exit interchange. The interchange maintains a steady flow of traffic for motorists, safely connects runners and bikers to the trails in the region, and saved taxpayers $4 million by utilizing the natural topography of the area.

An aerial view of the new Bluff St/Red Hills Parkway Intersection.

On SR-12, a Bike Path Extension is in its final phase of construction. The project will provide a safe alternative for bicyclist and pedestrian travel by distancing them from traffic. It will also provide a key link in the connectivity of this path from Red canyon to Bryce Canyon National Park. The project, which is a partnership with Garfield County using Transportation Alternatives Program funding, should be finished near the end of the 2015 construction season.

Salt Lake City’s Green Bike Program: This silver-level bicycle community has a Green Bike sharing program that gives a custom approach and bike lane design to fit existing streets. This includes shared lanes.

Jordan River Parkway is 40 miles of urban park that runs along the Jordan River. It stretches from the south end of Salt Lake Valley and connects north into the Legacy Parkway Trail in Davis County, giving tens of thousands of residents access to non-vehicular transportation and recreation.

In Utah County, the Murdock Canal Trail is a multi-use trail that extends 16 miles through seven cities, from Lehi to Orem. It connects with numerous regional and city trails and will have future connections to seven additional trails. The plan for the area is to build a safer, more connected regional bicycle network. Future plans for this system, in conjunction with the Jordan River Parkway and Legacy Parkway Trails, will allow riders to travel from Ogden to Provo using only paved trails. You can view Region 3’s bike plan here.

We’re excited that the League of American Bicyclists has honored Utah with a top-5 bicycle-friendly distinction. While there’s still much work to be done to keep up with the state’s amazing rate of growth, we’re committed to exploring every avenue of possibility for active transportation. The creativity, enthusiasm and desire to collaborate with our partners is what drives innovation on Utah roads, and going forward, we’ll continue to strive to improve the quality of life for all Utahns.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) advises drivers to plan ahead for significant traffic restrictions on I-15 in Davis and Utah counties beginning as early as Saturday night. Crews will be demolishing a bridge at 400 North in Bountiful, and completing concrete pavement maintenance in Springville. Additional restrictions are also scheduled to begin on I-80 in Summit County as early as Saturday morning.

The following is a brief description of road construction projects that drivers should be aware of this weekend (all schedules subject to change due to weather or equipment issues):

I-15 in Davis County

I-15 is scheduled to close in both directions on Saturday, April 18, as early as 11 p.m. while crews demolish a bridge at 400 North in Bountiful. The freeway will be closed at the following locations:

Southbound I-15 will be closed between the Legacy Parkway/Park Lane interchange in Farmington and 400 North in Bountiful, and all southbound traffic will be diverted to Legacy Parkway. The southbound I-15 on-ramps at all interchanges in this area will also be closed.

Northbound I-15 will be closed at 400 North (Exit 317) in Bountiful. Northbound traffic will be diverted onto 400 North, then back onto the freeway via 500 West.

The freeway is scheduled to reopen by Sunday, April 19, at 11 a.m. Drivers in both directions are advised to use Legacy Parkway as an alternate route.

View Alternate routes for this weekend, as Interstate 15 will be closed from Farmington to Bountiful.

I-15 in Utah County

Southbound I-15 is scheduled to be reduced to one lane between 1400 North (Exit 261) and 400 South (Exit 260) in Springville on Saturday, April 18, as early as 9 p.m. for concrete pavement maintenance. These restrictions are scheduled to remain in place through Monday, April 20, at 7 a.m., when an additional lane will reopen.

During this time, drivers should plan ahead for severe traffic delays of more than an hour on Sunday, April 19, between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. US-89 through Provo and Springville should be considered as an alternate route. In addition, UDOT recommends that drivers adjust their schedules to avoid travel on southbound I-15 during this time if possible.

Following these lane restrictions, the southbound lanes on I-15 in this area are scheduled to be split into two sections on Monday, April 20, as early as 12 p.m. This lane split is expected to remain in place through Thursday, April 23, at 5 a.m. to allow concrete pavement to cure. Drivers wanting to use exits 261 (1400 North) or 260 (400 South) in Springville will need to stay in the right lanes.

This work is being completed under warranty as part of the I-15 CORE project at no additional cost to taxpayers.

View alternate routes from Provo to Springville, as Interstate 15 will be closed for much of the weekend.

I-15 in Salt Lake County

Southbound I-15 is scheduled to be reduced to four lanes north of the 10600 South interchange beginning as early as Saturday, April 18, at 10 p.m. These restrictions are scheduled to remain in place through Sunday, April 19, at noon while crews complete concrete maintenance. This work is being completed at night to minimize traffic delays.

I-80 in Summit County

I-80 is scheduled to be reduced to one lane in each direction from the U.S. 40 interchange to Wanship as early as Saturday morning, April 18. All traffic will be shifted to the eastbound lanes, and the speed limit will be reduced to 45 miles per hour. In addition, the westbound on- and off-ramps at Exit 150 (Tollgate/Promontory) will both be closed. These restrictions are scheduled to remain in place through fall 2015.

Crews are completing the second phase of a project to reconstruct I-80 in this area with new concrete pavement. Last year, work was completed in the eastbound lanes, and this season crews are reconstructing the westbound lanes.

Construction schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change. For more information about these and other UDOT projects, visit udottraffic.utah.gov or download the UDOT Traffic app, available for iOS or Android devices.